Family Matters

Today was a busy day! I headed to the store to run errands to buy some healthy foods and pick up some much needed supplements. Now before you start to tune me out because you think I'm a juice head, hear me out! I got an extra boost of confidence in my plan today because my mom saw a weight loss doctor and inside the packet she brought home was stuff I already knew! 5 clean meals a day, cardio and weight training, and of course, supplements. So I went to GNC to take advantage of Gold Card week and all the sales they had going on. This is what I bought:

 This is called 5-HTP. It is a plant-based supplement that acts as a natural precursor for serotonin. Studies show that it helps regulate mood and decreases carbohydrate cravings. The recommended dosage is 50-300mg a day. Side effects include nausea or drowsiness. If taken before bedtime, it can act as a sleep aid.
Price at GNC: $19.99 before discounts (I paid $15.99 for 45 tablets)
*Doctor Recommended

 These pills are simply calcium with Vitamin D-3 to assist with calcium absorption and magnesium. Calcium plays a vital role in suppressing hormones that promote fat storage. It stimulated body processes that break down existing fat when combined with a low calorie diet. Recommended dose is 500-1000 mg per day. Studies show that magnesium has a positive effect on lipid profiles. It also may benefit blood pressure, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and high cholesterol. Recommended dosage is about 100mg/day. Low vitamin D levels are associated with osteoporosis, muscle weakness, cancer, diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disease, and kidney & auto-immune disease. Studies recommend a does of at least 1000 I.U. a day for adults.
GNC Retail price: 7.99 for 90 tablets, 12.99 for 180 (I paid $10.00 for 180)
*Doctor Recommended

 These chews contain raspberry ketones, which were recommended by Dr. Oz. Raspberry ketone is the primary aroma compound of red raspberries. This compound regulates adiponectin, a protein used by the body to regulate metabolism. Raspberry ketone causes the fat within your cells to get broken up more effectively, helping your body burn fat faster. The recommended dose is 100mg per day (from Dr. Oz website). They also contain green coffee bean extract, which is taken from green coffee beans BEFORE roasting. They contain chlorogenic acid which increases metabolism of fat and slows the release of glucose. The recommended dose for green coffee bean extract is 400mg taken 3 times daily before meals.These chews are great appetite suppressants, you can pop one (up to 4 a day) in whenever you get a craving but it is not quite yet time for your next meal.
GNC Price: $24.99 for 40 chews (I paid $29.99 for 2 40-chew packets)
*Doctor recommended

 

This is a pre-workout that is made by GNC called pro-sculpt. Pre-workout helps give me an extra boost of energy on days where I just don't feel like I have enough energy to give 100% during a workout (which is often!). The product also claims to aid in fat burn and muscle development. It contains caffeine, beta-alanine, and green tea extract to help give an extra energy boost. It has a proprietary blend of amino acids to help aid in building muscles. Contained in this blend are two *doctor recommended ingredients:

1) Conjugate Linoleic Acid (CLA): naturally occurring fatty acid found in dairy and beef. It acts on enzymes that allow fat deposition and prevents it from happening. It helps maintain more lean muscle mass during and after dieting
2) L-Glutamine: an amino acid that curbs cravings for sweets, also aids in recovery of muscles.
I also like this pre-workout because it is Creatine FREE, so it isn't harsh or has harsh side effects. It also won't make you bloat (which Creatine does) and you won't have to worry about cycling on and off this product. Some side effects include upset stomach and headaches until you get used to the product. I recommend that you take this 15-20 minutes before your workout.
GNC Price: $49.99 for 30-scoop supply (I paid $59.99 for two 30-scoop supply canisters AND I got a free backpack) :))

So you're probably wondering... how much did that all cost? Well all together, I paid about $117.00 for 60 days (the entire Insanity program) worth of pre-workout, 2 packages of ketone chews (one for me and one for mom!), 180 Calcium tablets, and about a month's worth of appetite suppressants. Along with all that, I also got 2 free trials of other pre-workouts, a sample of a sleep-aid, a small bottle of CLA supplements for free, AND a free backpack (soooo gonna be my gym bag once I subscribe to a gym!). It did make me wince a bit to fork over that much money, but I did save over 70 dollars due to the sale. And if I get the results I want, it'll all be worth it! I know it seems like a lot, both price wise and consumption wise, and I'd hate to rain on your parade but there are actually a few other things you should consider for your fitness regimen, including a whole-food multivitamin, fish oil (omega 3) pills, vitamin B-12 (energy!), and protein powder for post-workout. I know this all seems overwhelming, but what I always say is it's better to take a whole bunch of pills now to protect your health so that you're not popping blood pressure bills, cholesterol pills, pain pills, heart disease bills, blood thinners, diuretics, etc. later! I also take a Biotin supplement to help promote healthy skin, hair, and nails.

At this point (if you've even made it this far) you're probably wondering where the "Family Matters" title came from. While I was at HEB buying great whole foods like fresh fruit, healthy fats, whole grains (like Quinoa), fresh veggies (like Kale and juicy tomatoes) and lean proteins (like eggs, tuna and wild-caught salmon), I got the best text EVER from my dad! He entered a weight loss contest at work and if he can lose 45 pounds by June, he will win up to $1,000! This was the best news! I was so proud of my dad that he was ready to make a lifestyle change! This will make things easier for me as now our entire family is trying to lose weight and I know I'll have more support with trying to be healthy in the kitchen. I bought a healthy eating cookbook and my mom was flipping through the recipes, excited to try them out! I'm so excited for my family to embark on this journey together! Also because that means with them eating healthier and being more active, I know my parents will be around for a long time :)

Thanks for reading this novel and I hope you learned something new! :) Until tomorrow! <3

*"Doctor recommended" denotes that this supplement or ingredient was recommended by my mom's weight loss doctor and supplement information was obtained from information given by her doctor unless otherwise noted.